Hard Work

All successful recovery includes two words – hard work. Sorry, I wish it wasn’t so. I wish there was a softer, easier way, but there’s not. To stay sober, you need to master things like surrender, going to meetings, and working the Steps. But you also need this: Hard work. Derek Jeter said, “There may…

Elvis

No one ever had a more successful career as a singer and entertainer than Elvis Presley. In what may be his most memorable song, he gave a really good example of how a man should express his love for his wife. “Love me tender, love me sweet, Never let me go. You have made my…

The Learning Curve

German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus (1850-1909) is credited for inventing the learning curve. He was also the first psychologist to conduct extensive work on memory studies. Among his findings: we need to hear something five times in order to remember it. Another study found that the average high school student forgets 95 percent of what he…

Buckets

An analogy that is often used to describe the process of rebuilding trust is that of the empty bucket. We say to the addict, “The reason your wife doesn’t trust you is that your bucket is empty. You need to refill your bucket.” We refill the bucket by going to meetings, doing therapy, and remaining…

One Word Says It All

It would be impossible to summarize the entire Bible – 1,189 chapters – with one word. Among the 66 books of the Bible there are 31,102 verses, consisting of 783,137 words. Which of those words is most important? Hard to name just one. But If I could say just one, it might be . .…

Godzilla

Godzilla’s career as a prizefighter began with his first movie, appropriately called Godzilla, in 1954. He went on to star in 38 movies, taking on all monsters who wanted a piece of him. His career included 55 fights, with 45 wins, four draws, and six losses. One of the losses came to a robot, so…

Thanksgiving Today

In 1864, President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation declaring Thanksgiving as a day on which citizens should give thanks and praise to God and humble themselves and pray fervently for the return of the blessings of peace, union, and harmony. As we celebrate Thanksgiving in America today, I remind you of God’s instructions for the…

The Law

It is important that we be aware of our weak spots. The Bible says, “Through the law we became conscious of our sin” (Romans 3:20). Substitute the word addiction for sin. Here are four reasons you need to be conscious of your addiction: John Calvin said, “There is no light in the law without Christ.”…

Marching Off Your Map

Alexander the Great was one of the greatest conquerors the world has ever known. After he had achieved his conquest of Persia, he embarked on an eastward journey that led him beyond the familiar territories. As author Halford Luccock put it, the general “marched off his maps.” I suppose that when your name ends with…

Itzhak Perlman

At the age of four, Itzhak Perlman was struck by polio, rendering his legs useless. However, he compensated for this loss by dedicating himself to his violin. In the following years, Perlman enchanted countless audiences with his music. While he lost the use of his legs, his music bestowed upon him a unique form of…